The Three Realms
by fallenxfate
Summary: There are three realms in the world: One of humans, one of Angels, and one of demons. Kazune is an Angel sent to find a girl named Karin, and the demon Jin is interested in these events, while Michiru, a halfbreed, gets caught up in it all. [KxK][JxMxA]
1. Prologue

**The Three Realms;  
**prologue: the beginning

* * *

"I am called Kazune of the First Order," said a blonde coolly. "What business do you want from me, great Voice whom speaks to all the realms?" 

_There is a girl_, said a voice, ethereal and omnipotent. _She is living in the Second Realm._

"What does the First Realm need from a Second Realm resident…a human?"

_She belongs in the First Realm, Kujyou Kazune. She is…unaware of the sacred power that is bequeathed to her. She must be brought here at once._

He bowed. "Your commands will be carried out," he replied.

_Kazune, son of Kazuto…Kazune of the First Order, I shall await your return. There will be danger, so be cautious of who you trust. _

"What is…what name does she go by?" he asked.

_Her name is Hanazono Karin, but someday, Kazune of the First Order, you will know her as the New Voice of all the realms._

He stiffened, but turned to leave.

* * *

_"It is said that there are three realms in our world. Our realm is the Second Realm—the place where we mortals dwell. We possess no powers, no magic._

_"The First Realm is called the Kingdom of Angels. They are celestial beings, and the mystical blood of the Gods run through their veins. The Angels, as we call them, are the mouthpieces of the Voice—and you will hear of the Voice again in my tale._

_"The last realm—the Third Realm—is the realm of demons and vile creatures. They would much rather spill your blood than talk to you. We are their prey—Angels are their enemies. _

_"All of the Realms share the same God, the Voice. The Voice is the everlasting being, not of the First, Second, or Third Realm but of somewhere different. We do not know where the Voice comes from…but it is said that the Voice is descended from an Angel. We humans do not—will never know._

_"Occasionally there are half-breeds…children of horrible pairings of human and Angel, human and demon, demon and Angel. They are not accepted by any realm. Children of demons and humans are called vampires, the blood-sucking creatures of the_

_night. Children of Angels and humans are too weak to be Angels, but too otherworldly to be a human. They are shunned by both, and usually their intent goes vile…and turn into demons._

_"Ah, and the child of an Angel and demon…they are cursed beings. They bring misfortune everywhere they go. We do not speak of them._

_"Oh, children…children…please heed my words._

_**"We do not belong with either."**_

In the Second Realm, a storyteller was dying, his last story being told.

* * *

"Kuga Jin," said a snarling voice. "What was it…_Lord_ of the Third Realm, the Lord Hades." 

The majestic lord stood, his decorative cape sweeping the floor. "I am he," he replied smoothly, confidently. "What is your name, demon?"

"My _name_ is of no importance, Lord Hades. I merely came to inform you of…happenings in the other realms," rasped the demon. "I have heard…that Kujyou Kazune of the First Order in the First Realm is going to the Second Realm."

"Go on, demon…"

"There is a girl. She will be the New Voice, they say. Lord Hades, why do you choose the shape of a human?"

Jin frowned. "Keep on the topic, demon. My reasons are mine alone."

"The thing is, Lord Hades, is that she is not of any of the realms…not human or angel or demon…so she may be…_easily swayed._"

The lord smiled. "I see what you mean, demon. To have the New Voice as an ally…now, if you do not mind, demon, kindly leave."

"Her name is…Hanazono Karin."

As the demon left, the Lord of the Third Realm began preparations to leave.

* * *

Run! 

That was all that the half-breed was thinking as he ran, dashing through the forest. Again, the angry villagers were after him, because somebody was stealing in their small village. He didn't do it—really, he didn't! He was a half-breed, but…he was _honest_.

"Over here!" called a female, and he was quickly ushered into a hiding place, a basement or cellar.

He could faintly hear the mob. "Have you seen the half-breed?" asked the leader gruffly. "We think he has been stealing again."

"No, s-sir," stammered the girl, masking her fear with nervousness.

There was a long pause. "Very well, girl, but if you've lied—!"

They continued the hunt, as he could tell by the yell of, "We're losing time! Let's get going!"

The girl opened the hidden door and immediately began to cry into his arms, as usual. "Mi-Michiru, why?" she asked brokenly. "Yo-you're-re a g-good per-person…"

He looked at the girl. "Ami…I'm not a person," he replied sadly. "I'm just Nishikiori Michiru…a half-breed." He stood up. "Ami, I'm leaving. I'm…going for good this time. Please don't worry about me; I'll be fine. But maybe there is a place where nobody cares that my eyes don't match, that I have the wings of an angel, and yet that those wings are so broken and frail all they do is hinder me."

As he stalked into the darkness, Ami screamed at his back.

_"__**I**__ do! __**I**__ do! __**I DO**__!"_

The weeping never really stopped for her, even if the tears stopped on the outside.

* * *

"I have no place in this village," said Karin aloud, listening to a mob pass. They came every week or so, for the half-breed that allegedly was hiding in their village. "…Nobody wants me here, not even Auntie." 

She threw her arms back and laughed. "Haha, listen to me, moping and whining. I can't do absolutely nothing around here, so I had better get working."

Humming with annoying cheerfulness, she went back to sewing dresses, doomed forever to a life of mediocrity and dullness, until something strange happened a few days afterwards.

* * *

**Ending Note:** I do not own, do not sue.

This is a simple prologue. There will be four chapters after this, one for each character, but characters will meet each other in the second chapter--though not all, haha. Things will get clearer as it goes. My first AU and least confusing, as well as first multi-chapter fanfiction for Kamichama Karin yet. Pairings as of now will be Kazune x Karin, Jin x Michiru x Ami...yeah...x)


	2. kazune, first realm

**I do not own Kamichama Karin.**

* * *

**The Three Realms;  
**chapter one: kazune, first realm

* * *

Rain was a fantastic thing, and yet you couldn't get it in the First Realm. It disappointed Kazune to no end, as he found the falling water simply magical. But on _this_ day it served only as a distraction and hindered him. He hoped that it wouldn't keep up all day—especially since he had set off at dawn. 

He had just crossed the border between the First and Second Realms, visible only by Angels. Here was a lucky thing: Demons could not see or enter the border, as Angels couldn't see or enter the border between the Second and Third Realms, and the First and Third Realms were not directly linked. If there was, then there would be a war every other week, which would probably bring about the extinction of the realms

Kazune shivered, body adjusting to the cold air. Unlike humans, his body would adjust body temperature until he felt comfortable walking around at the regular. He was never too warm or too cold—a small trick he had picked up, and the magic he had to use was minimal.

The village where this Karin girl lived was a few miles away, and he could _feel_ the potential magic in the area, which…scared him, a little. Usually, you couldn't sense magic unless it was being used, so by his reasoning the girl had to either radiate magic, or that magic itself followed her. He'd heard of that kind of thing happening before, a being that was like a magnet to magic, and beckoned to it without knowing it. He made a note to not use his magic, instead to put it in what he referred to as his 'storage' for magic, which not only saved his magic, but protected it with his own mental barriers.

In his head, he began to rehearse what to say. After all, "I am an Angel, and I'm here to take you to the First Realm where you belong, because you're the new Voice," didn't sound too believable.

He decided to settle for impressing her with his lineage and titles first, because at least he could prove that simply enough. A pair of wings is a pair of wings, no matter how you look at it.

"I am Kujyou Kazune, an Angel of the First Order," he began. "I live in the First Realm, and have earned my place in the First Order through inheritance and my own succeeds. I am also known as the Lord Uranus, formerly the Lord Apollo…before, as you may know, the sun god's power was made obsolete. I have come to request your audience at the First Realm, as well as to escort you if you so please."

He finished his small speech and made a derogatory noise. _Women_, he thought to himself. _All they need are a few fancy words and there you have it._ He snorted. _Useless things, they can be…_Especially_ you, Suzuka. Mother._

That was when he noticed a person walking down the pathway in the opposite direction of himself, silhouette blurred by the fog and rain.

"You-you…you're an Angel!" gasped the person before darting out of sight. "Please, don't come near me…"

Now, this was strange…first was the fact that the person could tell he was an Angel without being able to see his wings or clothing. Humans couldn't do that, so…perhaps he was an Angel, or demon? No, not an Angel. Angels were very welcoming; they wouldn't hide from each other. Not a demon either. If it were a demon, he would already be fighting.

A half-breed…?

He followed, and was greeted by a shocked face. But that wasn't what made Kazune flinch…it was his eyes.

They were different colors: one blue, the other violet.

"Half-breed…!" he breathed, and then noticed the pathetic wings the boy had. "You…you're…"

The boy's face grew stormy. "Go on then," he said in forced calmness. "Say it. Tell me what an abomination I am. That I wasn't meant to live…that I should die. Say that _you hate me because_…because…because my mother and father were stupid and thought they were in love…"

"…You're pitiful," replied Kazune, turning to walk away. "Not because you are a half-breed…but because you wallow in your own pity, and what people say about you." He stopped in his tracks. "The first demon that comes along will probably demolish your poor soul and you'll find yourself in the Third Realm."

"What would you know?" snapped the half-breed.

Kazune made a small humming noise. "I'm an Angel of the Fifth Century, the Lord Uranus. I've been alive for over four hundred years. And more importantly, I've seen scores of half-breeds like you—vampires, fallen Angels, and even the children of those we do not speak."

The half-breed scowled. "And yet, you cannot understand me—us."

Kazune walked away, and neither made a passing glance.

Once their shadows had long crossed, Kazune sighed. "Half-breeds," he murmured. "They are such poor souls…" He smiled. "I wonder what he would think if he knew I had both Angel and human blood…"

* * *

_It was the best and worst secret in the First Realm that Kujyou Kazune, Lord Uranus, of the First Order—was not much better than a half-breed. His mother was a pure Angel, tainted by Kujyou Kazuto, a human, whose life's work was to make an Angel artificially._

_**He was not a true Angel**_

_But as long as he looked like an Angel and served his purpose, then, well, who really cared? Certainly not the Angels…and even less so the Voice._

Angels only serve as a mouthpiece for me, _the Voice once told him. _You have your jobs and your lives…but more so than the humans and demons, you live to follow my bidding. But is that not a good thing? Do I not always know what is best? I know who you really are, Kujyou Kazune…but as long as you live to serve, then nobody will care.

* * *

Storing magic is complex, an art, some people would say. You couldn't simply just put it aside; there were things you had to do beforehand. Kazune had spent a half-hour boiling his magic down to purity—using magic and then recalling or regenerating it usually made inequalities in it, or in some cases, the magic would come back tainted. To store his magic, he had to sift through every bit of it, smoothing out the inequalities and gently removing the pollutants without prying away magic. Once it was in its purest form, he could then begin to _gently_ sap it out of his system, and concentrating it in one place. Attempting to remove it all quickly would be disastrous: he could faint, or in severe cases, die. Then he laid down his mental defenses. Pure magic is always stronger than tainted, unequal magic, so at least if he had to spar with an Angel or demon with magic, he would have an advantage. 

Of course, he never had to do this when he was called by the Voice. The Voice was strong and wise, and had a strong grasp on magic. Obviously, the Voice could control the magnetism of magic.

When he had gotten close to the village where the magnetism laid, he sent out the smallest tendril of magic to direct him, but was horrified to find that his magic was slowly being pulled out by that thread he had expelled, and quickly broke it away from his main pool of magic, letting it get summoned by the attraction to power. He would regenerate it later, anyways.

He arrived at the village that night. It was still raining.

Kazune soon realized staying in his usual garb wasn't such a wonderful idea. His outfit clearly showed that he was an Angel, and if that wasn't a giveaway, then his wings were. He could easily conceal his wings with a simple trick that all Angels could use, even without magic, but clothing was a different matter. He couldn't _trade away_ his clothing, but he had no money…but people were staring.

"S-sir Angel?" stammered a woman.

The girl had bravery, he would give her that: she was the only one who dared approach him. But he was really not in the mood. "I'm sorry, miss, but I have business here," he informed her succinctly.

"Sir Angel, are you not cold? Come, sir, I own a tavern here in this village, and it is warm and cozy in there," she said with a curtsy. "I ask not anything of you. It is my pleasure to serve an Angel such as yourself."

Kazune was used to this treatment. The first time he went to the Second Realm, he was touched and would go anywhere that a human asked him to (for free, of course, no charge)—until he found out what they were really after: his blessings as an Angel. But this woman seemed sincere, and he did need clothing…

"Kind woman," he said (although he had to push out the 'kind' part), "I need proper clothing. If you could spare me some that would be wonderful."

Minutes later, he had normal clothes and directions to the Hanazono house. "Please, sir, if you ever return, you know where to come!" the woman had told him as he left. She had told him her name, but Kazune couldn't be bothered to remember it. He couldn't be bothered to place it with the thousands of names that he had to learn over the centuries.

He knocked the door and a middle-aged woman answered the door. He reeled off his little spiel in a monotone _("I am Kujyou Kazune, an Angel of the First Order. I live in the First Realm, and have earned my place in the First Order through inheritance and my own succeeds. I am also known as the Lord Uranus, formerly the Lord Apollo…before, as you may know, the sun god's power was made obsolete. I have come to request your audience at the First Realm, as well as to escort you if you so please.")_ and stared the woman in the eyes.

"Ooh, dearie me," said the woman faintly. "I always knew I was special, I did!" She turned inside and screamed, "Karin, you lousy little tick! Get a nice dinner started! We've got a handsome guest that wants to talk to me!"

She batted her eyelashes at the Angel, but Kazune barely noticed. He was too busy obsessing over the mistake he had made—a mistake that he knew would probably cost him in the end.

* * *

"I guess I'm so special you can even see it from the First Realm, huh?" giggled the woman flirtatiously. She obviously thought she was still young and pretty, which she was not. "Why, Kazune-chan, is it? Kazune-chan, do you have a pretty girl waiting at home?" 

His thoughts immediately went to his cousin, Himeka, a beautiful and gentle girl. He would never love her in the way she wanted him to, but he loved and cared for her deeply. Next they went to his sister, Kazusa…who came about the same means that he did. They were an interesting pair of siblings, who were much closer and yet so much further away from each other than normal siblings. Kazune shook his head, suddenly realizing that the woman was _belittling_ him, and scowled slightly.

The woman—her name was…was Rika, he thought, but he could be wrong—mistook the scowl and sent a similar one to the girl who was serving them. "I know, Karin's an ugly one, isn't she?" said Rika distastefully. "I can understand why her parents would abandon her."

Karin wasn't ugly, per se, just…deprived-looking. Her hair was a lovely light-brown, her skin flawless…and her eyes were alight with hope. "She's fine," replied Kazune dully. He would have to speak with her in private later, but for the time being he would have to deal with the woman pestering him.

"I don't eat meat," he lied when she passed him some sort of chicken substance that looked utterly toxic. (Rika's face fell: that was the only part of the meal she had cooked. But she recovered quickly.)

She laughed in her middle-aged way, quick to assume that there was some sort of code against it. "I suppose I'll just have to get used to it when I become an Angel, right?" she giggled. "Oh, but I can't imagine life without chicken…"

Kazune passed a glance at Karin, who seemed uncomfortable. Obviously she was a common girl, not one who would think she was befit to serve an Angel, let alone become the New Voice…unlike her not-so-humble aunt.

"Excuse me, Miss Rika. I would like to visit the washroom. I am sure that Karin can guide me there—you can, can't you, Miss Karin?" (Said girl nodded) "Very good." Kazune stood, for the umpteenth time realizing how silly and stupid females could be, and let himself be guided by Karin to the washroom, while leaving "Miss Rika" to puzzle over who this Rika lady was.

"Karin," he said simply, deciding it would be best to be straightforward. "I'm going to be honest with you. I am an Angel from the First Realm, sent to find the New Voice. There was a…mix-up on my part, and that woman believes she is the one I was supposed to find." He stifled a sigh. "But she's not the one that I must find. It's you."

Karin's eyes grew huge. "You must be joking," she breathed.

The Angel stifled yet another sigh. "You aren't going to make me repeat it, are you?" he asked. "Surely women are not _that_ stupid."

Karin froze. "What…did you say?" she asked.

"I said, surely women cannot be that stupid."

He was shocked when the girl slapped him across the face. But he _was_ impressed by her spark. A girl with enough fieriness to hit an Angel was surely strong. But that didn't mean that she could become the New Voice—far, far from it.

"Kazune?" asked Karin cautiously. "Um, could you help me here?!"

That was when he noticed that Karin was 'holding' magic. _His_ magic.

"What do I do? What do I do? _What do I do?_" Karin went slightly spastic, but luckily, Kazune kept it together.

"Calm down, woman!" he snapped. "Just let me take care of this."

He touched her hand gently, and quietly beckoned for his magic to return. Slowly, the magic seeped back towards Kazune, sinking into his skin and melting past his mental barriers. The Angel closed his eyes in relief.

"What…what happened?" asked Karin, confused and flustered.

Kazune rolled his eyes. "I _told_ you that I came to find you so you could become the New Voice," he said in a controlled calm voice. "This means that you aren't an ordinary human—you have magic, just like I do. But it's stronger than a usual Angel's magic, so…I suppose, I'll have to teach you how to control it—starting with how to switch it off," he added, when he sensed his magic fighting to join and meld with her magic.

He paused. "We should probably go back," he reasoned evenly. "That lady will suspect something." His eyes narrowed. "She's not your mother, is she?"

Karin shook her head and her voice wobbled a little as she said, "My mother is…dead. My father too."

Kazune shrugged indifferently. "I figured as much," he replied. Listening to Karin sniffle a little, he brusquely stated, "Well, what's done is what's done. It's just like a girl to get overemotional about it."

"Well, what would you know?" squeaked Karin. "It's not like you could understand."

The Angel rolled his eyes. "If it makes any difference to you, I don't have any parents either."

Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say because the girl started glaring at him. "Kyah! How can you be so insensitive!? Don't you care about _your _parents, let alone mine?" She was about to hit him again, but then thought better of it and paused.

Kazune caught yet another '_women are useless_' rant in the making before it exited his mouth.

That was when there was a scream and a _thunk_ from the dining room, which sounded suspiciously like a woman fainting.

* * *

"Oh. It's the Lord Uranus." 

There was a shadowy figure looming over the unconscious body of Karin's aunt. He looked up and smiled agreeably. His features were princely, like Kazune's, and bespoke of great linage and title. But Kazune knew about demons—the pretty face could easily be a simple transformation, since their ability to shape-shift was well-known.

"You have my name, demon, so why don't you bestow me—I mean, _us_," (Karin had shot him a glare,) "with yours?"

His golden eyes looked directly at Karin. "Oh, is this the New Voice?" he asked, still sounding affable enough. "Do you think she's pretty, Lord Uranus?"

"Shut up!" snapped Kazune, raising one of his hands to summon his bow—an ancient, legendary weapon used only by the best and greatest—and aimed it at the intruder. "I know this trick. You're trying to confuse us, and it won't work. Answer the question!"

"Tch…I thought Angels were supposed to be kind and courteous."

"Fine! Tell us your name, _please_," ground out Kazune, as if the words caused him agony to say.

The dark-haired demon prince turned. "I'm the Demon Lord, Jin," he said with yet another smile. "But soon, you'll know me by another name."

Kazune forced a smirk. "The Lord Hades…ah, yes…the next question is, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I think you know."

The Angel's temper began to flare. "And how did you know to come here?" he asked.

"I followed you."

"That _can't_ be," argued Kazune. "I would have sensed you."

The demon lord flicked back a stray hair. "A little bird told me," he said coolly. "A little bird with broken wings—poor, poor birdie!"

Kazune froze. "The half-breed?" he muttered. "How?"

"I'm getting tired of this question and answer, you know, but since I feel nice, I'll tell you how. The little bird told me on his own decision…and as a reward I told him that I'd fix his pretty little wings up for him."

"And…did you?" hissed the Angel, appalled by the demon's behavior.

Jin stopped smiling. "I'm sorry, Lord Uranus, but I did say that was the last question. Good night, Sir Angel."

He stepped past Kazune, who was still pointing his white bow at him, and gave a short bow to Karin.

"It was nice to meet you, Kamichama," Jin told her, kissing her hand as if she were a noble. "But I'm afraid we will have to part. Until next time, then—the both of you."

And just as Kazune lunged towards the demon, he suddenly disappeared.

* * *

"Kazune…?" 

Karin was hunched over her aunt, looking worried even if she didn't like the woman so much. "Kazune, she's not waking up."

Kazune gave a patient sigh. "Karin, I'm going to erase her memories," he told her patronizingly. "If you're going to leave, it's better. In fact, I'll erase this whole village's memories of you." Recalling the magic problem, he thought better of it. "…Or not."

"Don't I get any consideration?" huffed Karin. "I mean, I have friends and stuff, you know!"

The Angel nearly broke his staff in half because of frustration. "Yes, but you'll have to leave them anyways!" he informed her exasperatedly.

"Well…well…uh…Who was that?" asked Karin, changing the subject.

"The Demon Lord Jin…the sole ruler of the Third Realm," muttered Kazune. "So the demons are taking an interest in the New Voice too…I see." He stood. "Well…the demons aren't going to get their way."

Kazune turned to Karin. "I promise you everything will turn out fine," he told her. "I swear by this sacred bow that I hold in my hand…the bowthat the god, Uranus, once held…"

* * *

_Swearing by a legendary weapon is something that is not to be taken lightly at all. If it isn't carried through, then both the bearer and the weapon will be incinerated by the power of the Gods…never to be remade again._

_The Bow of Uranus was a thing of great magic, and was Kazune's relief from normal life. The white bow held his essence—what made him, him. When he held it, he knew what was right…always._

* * *

"I want you to envision light inside of you, and it will come," Kazune commanded. Karin closed her eyes and concentrated, and soon enough, a faint pink glow did come. 

"Wow…" breathed Karin, before suddenly beginning to panic. "There's…a lot of light. No, there's too much! How do I…how do I let it go?!"

"No! If there is one thing you do, Karin, you have to keep it all inside of you. If you expel magic at this stage, then…I don't even want to think of the consequences. Here." He reached his hand out. "Slowly—_and slowly, I said!_—transfer some of the magic into me. I'll be the catalyst for this."

The pink light slowly trickled into him, and he fused it into an easily controlled form. "There," he said after a few minutes. "I'll transfer it back to you. If you let go of your magic now, all you'll do is light up…of course, with the amount you have, people will probably be blinded."

He conveniently did not mention to her that he had also 'switched off' the magnetism her magic gave off for the time being. She didn't have to know that.

Kazune sighed loudly. "I can't believe it took you a whole day to learn that," he snapped. "Women…so useless sometimes, I swear." (He shut up when he saw Karin rearing up for yet another slap to the face, though.)

"Well," he said, "I guess it's time, then…we're ready to leave, I think."

"Time to go?" repeated Karin numbly. "Already?"

"We have to."

Karin sighed. "I guess…I'm just not ready to leave yet! I don't want to leave behind Miyon or Yuuki…or yeah, even Ami…even though she's a little odd. She never really wanted to talk…she always wanted to go home, so she could talk to her friend." Karin laughed at the thought. "Yeah, she once said her friend was a half-breed…and of course we didn't believe her, but still…we all had something that could be teased about, I guess…"

Kazune had lost her at 'half-breed.'

He could feel his lips moving, he could hear his voice…but at the same time, he wasn't even aware he was talking.

"Okay…let's stay for another few days," was what he heard. And he agreed with his subconscious…but at the same time, he got a bad feeling about it.

* * *

_Earlier That Day_

"Demon Lord?" asked a small demon, the form of a bat.

Jin waved his hand distantly. "What is it, Kirio?" he asked vacantly.

"My…sister, Kirika…she and I have found out some _very interesting_ things about Kujyou Kazune, who has been sent to find the New Voice."

"I'm interested."

The bat seemed to smile, showing magnificent fangs. "You will have to pay a price, Demon Lord."

"You know I cannot restore your lordship, Kirio," hissed Jin, as if they had gone over the subject many times before.

"No, no, that isn't what I want at all," Kirio replied. "I want the Angel, Himeka… Kujyou's cousin."

Jin seemed to think it over for a few seconds. "Done," he answered. "You'll have her soon enough. Now, what is it that you have to tell me? And Kirio—" The Demon Lord drew a sword "—if it isn't as _good_ as I expect it to be, not only will you not get your reward…but you will have the most horrible of deaths."

"Understood," spat the bat, gazing in a twist of awe and horror at the Sword of Hades, a Legendary weapon equal to the Bow of Uranus. "And…I also did as you asked and found out about the late Lord Neptune…and what legacy he left behind."

"I trust you found that interesting, Kirio?"

The bat gave his fanged smile. "Nothing less than."

"Report to me all your findings later…I would _like_ to be alone for the time being."

With that, the bat disappeared in the smallest wisp of smoke.

* * *

**Ending Note**: The drama continues in the next epic chapter of the Three Realms! What are the secrets? What does Himeka have to do with this all? Why does the half-breed keep popping up everywhere? Why did Kazune choose to stay? What is going to happen next?! And when will there be some romance?! 

All these questions and more will be answered next time on…the Three Realms!

Also…if anybody here role plays…I desperately want a Kamichama Karin role play, literate-advanced.

I had an amusing time writing this, because of Kazune being referred to as 'Lord Uranus.' I kept picturing a scene like this:

Kazune: I AM THE LORD URANUS! _DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME!_ -  
Karin: Lord of your anus…? -Cracks up- Omg, omg, omg, LAWLZ!  
Kazune: Hey, I don't give myself the title…go take it up with the Voice.

Eight freaking pages I typed, so…I _would _rather appreciate a review. Or I'll just sic Kazune onto you, and he'll whack you over the head with his Staff…of Your-anus. x)


	3. jin, third realm

**A/N**: I'm sorry this took so long to write. I didn't know how to portray Jin…because…I have not read Chu yet…Haha. If somebody wants to inform me on his personality so I can tweak this later if needed, then I would love you and…uh…gift you with a story? Yeah, that sounds good.

I don't like this as much as the last chapter. It's too choppy. I might revamp it later, but probably not.

**Please read my ending notes! Thank you!**

* * *

**The Three Realms;**

Chapter Two: jin, third realm

* * *

"A pretty little half-breed…" Jin murmured to himself, gently touching said half-breed's hair. "But not as beautiful as the darkness, are you, hmm? Did you find yourself drawn to its powers?"

He laughed. "I forgot. You can't talk right now, can you?" The demon fingered a glass vial carefully. "Without your essence, you're just a living doll."

Michiru stared into nothingness, his different-shaded eyes devoid of emotion, pain, or feeling. Jin smiled and ruffled the damaged, weak-looking feathers of his half-formed wings, causing white feathers to begin littering the ground.

"You wanted proper blood…well…I can't give you that," he admitted. "But I can give you wings."

The demon lord suddenly got up and laughed. "How would you like the wings of Kujyou Kazune, half-breed? Because I think I'll just have to get those for you."

* * *

"…I don't get it." 

"What's there not to get?" Kazune gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that humans were mortals and overall lesser beings than Angels, but he didn't recall that humans had to be downright _thick_ about every other thing. Of course, he wasn't thinking about the fact that he had grown up an Angel and she hadn't, and that most of the information he was disclosing wasn't particularly well-known.

"So, the gods have their will, and the Voice is the voice, enough said…and Angels are the, uh, mouthpiece. Right, got it…" Karin hesitated. "But what does the Voice—what will I do?"

"How would I know?" replied the Angel snippily. "I'm an Angel, not the Voice. Probably you'll sit around most of the time."

Karin muttered something under her breath, probably 'how boring' or something along those lines, but Kazune was too busy thinking to notice. He had said he would stay with no good reason except a strange instinct that told him to. Either way, he couldn't take it back now. The girl would probably not hesitate to rip his head off and he wasn't allowed to incapacitate her.

"And then humans and Angels go around doing whatever it is that the Voice says the gods will."

"Correct." _Finally, progress._

The girl frowned. "Well…what if the Voice just…made stuff up?" she asked tentatively. "Isn't that possible?"

Kazune stared at her as though she had just said the most vulgar thing in all the languages in the world. "Gods help me, _no!_" he replied. "We're Angels. If we sin freehandedly like that then we turn into demons. Half-truths are acceptable, and a lie is okay, but only if it's vital…but making stuff up and saying it's the will of the gods? That's a great way to get devoured by darkness."

"So then…what are demons?"

The Angel resisted a growing temptation to hit his head on something hard repeatedly. Apparently this girl simply could not connect one dot to another.

"The original demons used to be Angels, who either fell out of grace or…differed in opinion to our general cause," he said, attempting to keep this as simple and as ambiguous as possible, because the real stories were much more complex and macabre, and hardly any Angel knew them anymore. "To make the story short, they were taken in by the darkness, given powers that no Angel may possess, and became a twisted form of an Angel. Technically, they are still Angels, but we do not recognize them anymore, and they don't seem bothered being called demons. But demons started emerging many millennia ago and only a handful of the original demons still live—their lifespan is longer than an Angel's. They've bred though, and there are demon children running amok, usually causing a lot more trouble than the older ones."

"I kinda get it, I guess. So when are we leaving, then?" asked Karin.

Kazune's fingers twitched to grab something he could impale his head with. The New Voice couldn't even stay on topic. _How is she supposed to be the New Voice if she's so easily distracted?_ he wondered.

He managed to rein his temper in temporarily and evenly replied, "I don't know. A week, perhaps, longer if there are setbacks. I still have to get rid of any stray memories of you. You don't have any relatives in other villages, do you?" Karin shook her head. "Good, that makes it a lot easier."

"I guess I better go talk to my friends, then…," Karin said ruefully. "I'm gonna miss them…"

Kazune crossed his arms. "Get used to it," he said, "you're going to be living a life of solitude for a very, very long time."

* * *

_Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, so far away that its name was forgotten, there was a boy named Daiki. There was nothing particularly special or interesting about him—he was a normal boy living in a land far, far away. But when he was at the age of 15, an Angel by the name of Himeka descended to the Second Realm. She had been sent to bring him to the First Realm to become the New Voice._

_Daiki followed her and fell deeply in love with the Angel. She was a Lady of the Gods, they said, but all he knew then was that she was beautiful in both mind and body. She had dark hair, and a kind, sweet mentality. She was a young Angel, she told him, a mere half-century old. On the day that he was to leave and become the New Voice, he panicked. He was afraid he would never see Himeka again. So he asked her if she would come with him._

_She smiled, too innocent to know the consequences. When she entered with him to the sacred chambers, she split into two beings, both newborns._

_Daiki was horrified, but he was forced to live his long life as the Voice. Every day haunted him with his terrible mistake. But his time was ending, and soon he would drift in the Land of the Dead, with no more regrets._

* * *

"Himeka. Himeka! Where are you?" 

A pale-faced girl stepped out of the shadows. "I'm here," she replied, her voice faint and wispy, as if even the smallest breeze could blow it away. "What is it, Kirika-nee-san?"

Kirika was a female demon, who spent part of her time in human form, masquerading as a teenage male, another part of it in animal form as a weasel, and the last part of it in her demonic form. She was currently in her human shape, so she reached down and patted the small girl's head. "Please don't run off like that," she said soothingly. "Kirio will get worried, and we know what he's when he gets worried."

"Kirio-nii-san does not know what he is doing."

The older demon firmly rested her hand on the girl's head, as if to hold her in place. "It's better to let him do as he wishes," she replied. "I…would follow him, but in some places I can't. Please, just…let me know if you want to walk around, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Himeka nodded blankly. Kirika had misinterpreted her words completely.

* * *

_Himeka, in the times when she was a whole Angel, was not an ordinary Lady of the Gods. She didn't channel any god's power. She was the Lady of Light and Dark, a balance between the good and bad in the world. When darkness reigned, she could feel it, and if light was dominant, she could feel it also. Balance was preferable for her, though._

_When she split, one Himeka became the Lady of Light, the other the Lady of Dark. They, too, could feel when power shifted—one would become sickly, the other stronger. But they could also feel more than the original Himeka could. Every act of evil was imbedded in the Lady of Dark, and every act of good was in the Lady of Light. The sheer numbers of these things crowded their minds, made them sickly and unwell._

* * *

Trapped. He was trapped. 

Frantically, he shifted around in his imprisonment. No good—he didn't have a body anymore. He had no material behind him…just _stuff_, the stuff that made him, him. What did Jin say it was? Essence…epitome…started with an e, either way.

The worst part was that he could see his body. It was strange, seeing yourself. He smiled. He was taller than he thought he was.

His little glass world was tapped. "Soooo, thisss is the masssster's new toy?" hissed the demon. "Lucky little boy. The massster ussssually doesssn't take anybody into his private quarterssss, only his most trussssted officialssss and I am allowed in."

_Well then,_ Michiru thought (as he could not talk), _why are you bothering me? Get your hands off of __**my**__ vial! Or I'll…err…yeah…not much I can do, is there? Well, once I get back into my proper body I'll do something about it._

He sighed.

* * *

Jin was a strange demon. He liked playing around with humans and Angels and even the occasional demon, saying it was funny how people reacted under different situations. Angels were prone to thinking their way out. Humans panicked initially then tried to find a way. Demons tended to pressure and force their way out. Overall, the most adaptable by far were humans, but Angels and demons didn't need to adapt to survive. They were find as it was. 

Perhaps, then, that was why he found toying with the strange situations that Kazune, Karin, and Michiru were stuck in, and yes, why he helped Kirio with his little problem. His Himeka was part of a larger plot than Kirio knew, but he humored the former lord and went along with it.

He had decided that he would pay the Lord Uranus another visit. It would prove enlightening for the both of them.

* * *

Kazune sniffed the air and stiffened. "Karin," he said, "…I think there's a demon around here somewhere." 

As he expected, she started to panic. He was almost anticipating her to start flailing, but the soft _tap, tap, tap_ of feet against the floor distracted him. He held out his hand and his bow materialized, and he reached for an arrow in his quiver, stringing the bow, waiting for movement.

Calmly, the demon lord stepped into the room, and Kazune didn't hesitate to lay an arrow in his body.

Jin's golden gaze went to the arrow, and then to the Angel. To his grim shock, the demon's gaze didn't hold fear, or pain, or even _surprise_—but amusement. He extracted the arrow without even flinching, and Kazune noticed that he wasn't bleeding at all. He frowned—divine weapons should have had more of an effect than that!

The demon dropped the arrow, and it disintegrated before it hit the ground.

"You seem to like to play games, Lord Uranus," said Jin. "Would you like to play a game with me?" His smile was too happy to be real, it seemed. "If you win…I'll leave you alone. No more bothering. No tampering with the New Voice. Nothing. You won't hear from me for another few good decades."

"And if you win? Which you _won't_," Kazune added after a moment, fulfilling the need for egotistical banter.

"Don't be too sure of yourself. And…what do I want? Well, nothing much. Just your wings."

Kazune's grip on his bow grew tighter; his knuckles were turning white. "How do you plan to take my wings?" he questioned.

There was a whirlwind of black and red. Kazune found himself on the ground, a blade pressed against his throat.

"I think you know how," said Jin softly.

* * *

_An Angel's wings are no simple appendage. It's not like cutting off a limb. An Angel's wings go straight down to the soul, and ripping away that vein causes more than just physical pain. Only the blackest magic can remove them, and often an Angel will not heal from the pain. They will fade…and join the realm of humans. Even there, they are sickly and pale, never as strong as a normal human._

* * *

They had went out into the most convenient place that they could find. Jin seemed content to stay on the defense, deflecting arrows and occasionally going on the offense. Kazune was frustrated, to say the least; none of his arrows were connecting, and it was going much too slow. He preferred quicker, faster action. 

"I expected more out of you, Lord Uranus," commented the demon, and he dropped his weapon, letting it dematerialize. He tossed aside his black and red cloak. "I think I can take care of you the old-fashioned way."

As he spoke, his features suddenly started changing. His fingernails grew longer and sharper; his stature changed. Black wings unfurled from his back, and when he smiled, he revealed wicked fangs. He was going to fight tooth and nail—literally.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice sounding different: like he was hissing. Kazune merely smirked, and the demon lunged forward—his speed significantly increased.

The Angel had studied demons before, obviously. He knew that Jin had turned himself into his proper demon form, although it really just looked like a feeble twist of human and Angel, with a few animal characteristics thrown in. From Kazune's guess, he was a third-generation demon, just by looking.

The first generation demons were, in essence, dark Angels, but during the second generation, they somehow started taking on animal and human traits. The third generation became a mix of Angel, human, and animal, some combinations more perfect than others. He supposed that Jin was being careful not to lose himself—fighting in demon form…both of them would be thankful if he didn't get caught up in his more animalistic instincts.

Kazune shot arrow after arrow, but soon was running out quickly. He used his bow and remaining arrows to defend himself, but the method wasn't very conventional, and every sweeping slash of the deadly-sharp nails brought him closer to losing.

"What is this about, demon?" he rasped, holding the bow to deflect his stinging blows. "It isn't about the wings, is it?"

"It's part of something bigger. You know what of which I speak." Jin swooped low and attempted to unbalance the Angel, but Kazune was saved by a quick step back. "The Voice is dying. I can do two things that could unhinge the way the Three Realms live."

"Which are…?"

The demon smiled, and it sent chills down Kazune's neck and through his back. His wings tingled slightly, and flickered back into visibility. "…I think you know."

Reaching forward in a stabbing motion, the demon ripped through Kazune's feeble defense, slashed his right arm, and grabbed one of his wings, not sparing any gentleness. He crushed the wing, a sickening _crack_ filling the air, and the Angel couldn't suppress a scream of pain.

"Oops," said Jin casually. "I got a little carried away. Forgive me. Ah, well, I don't think I can take your wings now."

"Kazune!" Karin had came running out of the house. "Kazune…are you okay?"

"And the final piece of the puzzle arrives," murmured the demon. He turned to the girl and gave her a flourishing bow. "It's nice to see you again, Karin. An honor, actually."

"Karin, are you curious about demons?" asked Jin after a few moments. "I have… a well-researched hypothesis that you were asking certain Angels about it. And I can assure you, however esteemed the Lord Uranus is, he doesn't have the right story at all."

Kazune staggered to a standing position, clutching his wound. "Don't believe him," he said, half-struggling for breath. "Don't…he…"

"The thing is…Angels are just pawns. They don't really have a will of their own. They do whatever the Voice tells them to do, whatever they think the gods tell them to do. But what they're really doing is destroying each other. Haven't you ever stopped to wonder why, Angel? Why there aren't many Lords of the Gods anymore?" Jin's cheerful smile was annoyingly present.

"The answer is simple. Angels are destroying them. There was Apollo, and there was Ares, Athena…and so many more. Angels destroyed them trying to fulfill their gods' so-called will."

"You're…wrong," rasped Kazune, blood beginning to seep through his fingers. "_You_…you demons destroyed them."

"If you're going to attack us—well, start a war on us, really—how else are we supposed to retaliate?"

"…I…"

The demon was just infuriatingly happy-looking. "Exactly! Demons don't believe in this 'will.' We carve our own path. We do what we want; what we think is right. Angels are restricted by this supposed will. You'll see, Karin, when you become the Voice. You'll see how Angels twist the gods' words. You'll see the toll this war has taken on the gods."

He walked away, carefully retrieving his cloak, leaving one bleeding Angel and one confused human.

* * *

Jin was back, Michiru could tell. He could tell because he got a strange prickly feeling in his shabby wings. He could faintly feel the detached sensation of somebody stroking his hair and wings, and a light touch over his eyelids—there, but not really there. The demon seemed to have some strange preoccupation with touching him here and there, usually his face or wings. 

He was slowly getting this feeling in his chest. His lungs were filling up; he could hardly feel his heart…and there was a paralyzing emptiness somewhere.

_Wonder if anybody misses me…_he thought ruefully. _Probably not…maybe Ami…poor Ami. She shouldn't worry._

His eyes closed, but he somehow thought he heard Jin telling him he was sorry.

* * *

Kazune closed his eyes and let magic run through his system. The cut across his arm sealed itself with a small sizzling noise, but his wing remained crippled. He sighed. He would have to let it heal the old-fashioned way. 

"Karin, would you help me find some bandages or something?" he asked, but he got no reply. After waiting for a few moments, he turned to look at the girl.

She looked slightly hysterical. "I'm…I'm just so confused," she stammered. "Please. Just leave me alone! I don't want to be part of your stupid war!"

The Angel coughed, and blood came up. He wiped it from his mouth, staining his sleeve. "Trust me," he said. "I didn't either."

Then he fainted.

* * *

**Ending Notes**: Mmkay, like I said at the beginning. A thorough description of Jin's personality (I will be the judge of thoroughness. I'm not hard on this stuff, don't worry). The first three people who do this, I will gift with a story! YAY. 

I'll PM you asking for a type of story. By this, I mean, give me a prompt, a pairing, a situation, or something to write about. I'll even see about different series (if I have read them). You can be as general or as specific as possible.

Thinking of getting a LiveJournal. Your opinion?

Now review, or I'll cry salty tears and never write again. Just kidding. (x


	4. michiru, second realm

**A/N:** Waaaaaaooooww, chapter three. I'm so happy; I just love you all so much! I can't express it in words. I'm just happy. Dunno why, considering I don't get that many hits or reviews, but still… (:

I'm sad to say that the next chapter _will probably be the last._Sadly enough I have no idea how to end this. But I've done well enough BSing this, so… And WTF, why is there no romance yet?

I'm so sorry it took so long to get out. I… was busy? For a whole year?

* * *

**The Three Realms;  
**_chapter three: michiru, second realm_

Michiru woke, pale-faced and gasping for breath. Air…air was _very_ nice indeed, especially when you'd somehow been living without it for a day. It took a few seconds to realize that he was back in his body, no longer suspended in a glass vial. He wondered if this was on purpose – he decided it would be better to 'play dead' for awhile.

Too late, it seemed, because he had a staff thrown at him. He clumsily caught it. "You'll do something for me, won't you?" asked a voice from the shadows, but he knew who it was.

"Mm…I don't really have a choice, do I?" he replied, observing the staff. It was a trident, or as he put it, it was basically an oversized fork.

"Very observative of you," Jin replied dryly. "You see, in the war between Angels and demons, the demons are…slightly at odds. So we need more power."

"And what makes you think that I have power?"

"Not everybody can use that staff. Only half-breeds can."

Michiru lightly twirled the staff. It felt natural in his hands, and he could hear the sea echoing in the metal. "Its affinity is water," he said. "Why water?"

"You walk a thin path. Wavering from it will ultimately prove your downfall, and already, you do falter. You can be an Angel, a being of light and sky. You can be a human, who lives on earth. Or you could even be a demon, of darkness and fire. But you can hold the power of water, which only half-breeds can do. And water can be the most devastating element of all, used correctly." Jin hummed. "You may use that power however you wish. I'll let you go. Just remember the favors I've done for you…Lord Neptune."

"What do you want, exactly?" Michiru replied, his tone deceptively light, silently wondering if this was a sign from the gods that he should learn how to swim.

"There's an Angel by the name of Kujyou Kazune…"

* * *

_The god, Neptune, was like no other. He was strange, and he liked playing around with the beings that other gods found inconsequential. His favorites were half-breeds, despised by normal creatures and ostracized for something they couldn't control. He pitied them and loved them…and he granted them power, too._

_His power, the power of water – he used ancient magic to protect it, so that only half-breeds could unlock it. _

* * *

It was almost six hours before Kazune woke, finding Karin chatting quietly and sipping tea with another girl, a girl with a bow tying up a large, curly lock of hair. He stumbled to his feet.

"You should rest, you know," the girl with the bow said.

Kazune ignored her, glaring at Karin. "Why'd you let her in?" he asked. "Do you think that I _want_ people to know that – that I'm here?"

Karin set her cup down. "Ami's the only one I could trust!" she exclaimed. "I can't help you anymore. I don't want to. Just… just leave me alone."

The Angel sighed. "You're right. I owe you an explanation. But…I'm not going to tell this to anybody else but you."

The girl, Ami, stood. "I know where I'm not wanted," she said. "I'll be back later, Karin."

After Ami had left the house, Kazune sat down at the table. "We'll start at the beginning," he sighed. "It's a long, complicated story. But here goes. It started a long time ago, when the Lady of Light and Dark split into two beings. Nobody is sure how it happens, but is still suspected that the Voice knows something about it. Anyways, that's the year that I got a cousin, Himeka. I only learned recently that she's the Lady of Light, so she's one half of the Lady of Light and Dark. The other half, doubtlessly, currently lies with the demons.

"There was a rift between two groups of Angels two centuries back. The smaller group only had about fifteen Angels in it, but a lot of them were very powerful…they wanted to capture the Lady of Dark and bring the Lady of Light and Dark back together. You see, when the Lady split, Angels lost a lot of power. But they were outnumbered, so the plan was never carried out.

"Then one day, the Voice was heard saying, '_I'm so sorry, Himeka. It is my fault that you split. I wish you were here…I wish I could undo it._' The group of Angels said it was a message from the gods to bring them back together, so they started a slow assault on the demons. Both sides have had casualties… noble creatures – and yes, even demons are noble – have died without cause. I argued against it in the Court for long time. I still argue it to this day. It's not what the gods want. Why would they want needless bloodshed? But those fools, they simply tell me, 'It is normal to feel remorse for losing a person you love so dearly, Lord Uranus, but it is for the best.'

"The pompous idiots are worse than demons. Some Angels have even attempted forging a secret communication with demons who detest this war as well – now most Angels are for the war – but they were found. They were found too quickly. No progress was made. As punishment…they were sent to the front ranks of the battles, to fight until they died…it was that or sapping away their magic until they were empty shells and died. Both ways, it was murder, and they chose the less painful route.

"I know for a fact that one of the first demons they tried to talk to was the Demon Lord Hades, whose name is Kuga Jin. We have had the divine pleasure of meeting him firsthand. He's been against the war since its start – but who can blame him – and is desperate to stop it. It's in his battle tactics. He'll do anything at this point, I think."

"Wait a second," Karin interrupted. "So how is it that Angels from the First Realm and demons from the Third Realm have been fighting and the Second Realm hasn't been affected at all?"

"It has been," Kazune replied quietly. "Have you noticed? The sky grows darker… the earth is less fertile… small shifts and changes that lead to larger ones.

"_Anyways_, before you interrupted, he's desperate. He needs this war to end. I'm worried about what he's planning now… he wants to end the war, but I think he also wants the demons to gain power. There are two things he can do."

He put up one finger. "He can capture you, the New Voice, and hold you hostage. This would be easy, except that I'm here." He put up a second. "He can capture the Lady of Light, Himeka. This is nearly impossible… so I would wager on the first guess. But the way he talks…I think he may plan to do both, so we must be prepared. We have to leave as soon as possible, or your life will be at more of a risk than it already is."

Karin was visibly shaken. "S-so…when will we leave?"

"I can walk in this condition, so preferably tomorrow. But we…I don't know. I'm just relieved I thought to put your aunt in a comatose state so she won't wake up anytime soon. I would like to wipe the memories of your villagers, but somebody else can always do that later…" Kazune trailed off, looking Karin in the eye to see if she got the gist of the seriousness.

Bad idea, because he found himself wondering whether it was natural for eyes to be such a beautiful color…he shook the thoughts off. They were stupid.

…but she _had_ grown on him during the few days they'd known each other. He definitely didn't mind her, and he _did_ mind most girls. So the list of exceptions grew to Himeka and Karin.

"Hey, hey, you guys, are you done with your 'serious talk'? I'm back," a female voice called, obviously Ami, sounding quite a bit happier than when she had left. "I brought a friend!"

In stepped Nishikiori Michiru, looking more regal than when he had last met with Kazune. He paused, smiled, and waved.

"I think we got off to a bad start. My name is Nishikiori Michiru, and I'd love to get to know you."

Karin gaped for a few moments. "You're real?" she asked incredulously. "I mean…no offense, Ami…but it was a strange story."

"Ah! You're Hanazono Karin," Michiru said, still smiling. "It's an honor to meet you."

"What are you doing here?" Kazune asked, wary.

The half-breed's expression grew serious. "That's a good question," he said quietly. "I came because I walk my own path. I've _found_ my own path. And I'll follow it wherever it takes me. Blood doesn't determine a person…"

Kazune caught a small smile. "And I was right," he muttered to himself. "Good for you," he said aloud. "Does this path lead you to help us or hurt us?"

"It wouldn't be a good path to walk if I knew what the outcome was, Kazune," Michiru countered. "You don't know how this will end, and neither do I. For now, I choose to accompany you…" He grew silent, because they knew not the deceit that he was initiating.

* * *

_Yet another once upon a time, there was an Angel by the name of Karasuma Kirihiko. Kirihiko was appalled by the conduct of Angels, how they refused to walk their own path. How they manipulated the words of the Gods…He became one of the original demons. Although he died long before this story began, he left behind twin children – Kirio and Kirika, isolated from the path of time until they were called again. And he also left behind his own creation, as Kazune was his father's creation._

_The boy's name was Kuga Jin, and he was an odd demon indeed._

* * *

"Lord Hades, it has been very long since you have taken animal form," Kirio commented.

"You know as well as I do that I detest staying in this appalling animal shape," Jin hissed, ear twitching. "And to ride around in somebody's clothes… it's just…But this is the only way it can be done."

"Be careful, Lord, we cannot afford to lose you."

"Tell me something I don't know, or shut up," snarled the irate demon.

Kirio backed up a few wing flaps. "Really, Lord, it isn't so bad –"

"Let me put it this way: You are the one who is taking the form of a _shrew_ and hanging around in a person's clothing."

"…It will soon be over, though, Lord…so do not forget to bring me what you promised," Kirio said.

Jin was silent.

* * *

_Jin knew nothing of Kirihiko. Jin only wanted what was best for his people. He had a strong sense of duty, and was altogether a noble person, demon or not. He didn't care about the lines that separated Human from Angel and Demon and Angel again. He didn't care about half-breeds… he just wanted the demons to live, and gain whatever the demons wanted to._

_Three years before his conception triggered the birth of the twins Kirihiko had left. Both were granted the powers of the gods. But Kirio, the more vengeful of the two, had lost his abilities to Kujyou Kazune in a fair battle._

_Kirio was furious and unleashed the forbidden powers his father had made, and although he didn't know it, those forbidden powers twisted around Jin, Kirihiko's lovingly-made creation… and changed the still-young demon, even giving him the powers of the Gods._

* * *

"Ne, Kazune, are you and Karin together?" Michiru asked.

"You, of all people, asking that?" Kazune pointed out wryly. "Of course not. Even if I did like her, I wouldn't pursue her…"

"I understand. It just seemed that way," the half-breed said. At Kazune's skeptical glance, he explained, "I know Angels, Kazune. They don't trust people… not usually. So what's special about her?"

"She's…she's the New Voice," Kazune said. "And that is the reason why I wouldn't… do that. To me, there is no wrong in Angels loving humans. My father… was a human."

"You're an Angel, though," Michiru pointed out.

"Technically… I'm not. I'm a half-breed, in an Angel's body." Kazune glanced at the auburn-haired boy. "I only trust you to keep this a secret because you know the feeling. And even if you did tell somebody…well, what are the chances they'd believe you?"

He shifted his weight. "Now, I've told you a secret. I have to ask you something now – Did you meet the demon lord, Jin?"

"I did," Michiru replied unhesitatingly. "He didn't tell me anything. I didn't tell him anything."

"Ah, that's good, then…"

"Actually… hah… I'm surprised at myself for forgetting! He did tell me something. And gave me something too."

Kazune looked up sharply. "Which was?"

"Have a look at it for yourself!" Michiru held out his hands and slowly (as he _had_ just gotten it) the staff appeared, in small pieces at a time, until it formed a whole object. Kazune reached out to grab it, but retracted his hand quickly.

Holding his hand up to the sky, he noted his hand had been burnt, although he himself had felt no physical pain. "What _is_ that?" he asked, looking at the weapon. "It's not…Could it be?"

Kazune sighed. "Well, I suppose you're my equal now," he said. "Lord Neptune."

"Your hand," Michiru said. "It's hurt."

"You think I didn't notice? This _is_ made for a half-breed, isn't it?" Kazune frowned. He didn't feel the pain because by spirit he was also a half-breed, but his body was one of an Angel. Going on, he said, "What did he tell you?"

The half-breed shrugged nonchalantly. "Basically everything that you know, I guess," he said.

"Then did he tell you about the Trinity?" Kazune asked.

"Nope," said Michiru, "do tell."

"In that case, no." The Angel turned away from him. "It's better that you don't know. It'd avoid certain problems."

They were quiet for a few moments. "He's just odd, isn't he?" Michiru asked. "Not…"

"Yeah," Kazune said, understanding what the half-breed meant. "He's not."

"He's kind of like you."

"I don't like that comparison, but I can see where you got it from," he replied grudgingly. "And what about you and that girl Ami?"

"We're friends. That's all," Michiru said firmly.

"That's not what she wants," Kazune countered.

"It's not about what she wants. She is my friend. I'm not going to put her in more trouble than she already may be in."

"Ah, so you don't feel the same."

"I thought we were talking about you and Karin," Michiru said, his retort coming quickly and smoothly.

"Were we? Well, conversation over, then. We should get going soon."

* * *


End file.
